Floating in a canopy of trees, an exhibition pavilion designed by São Paulo-based architects Andrade Morettin marks the cultural epicentre of a future neighbourhood for the Brazilian city of Campinas. Fusing nature, views and community purpose, the modern treehouse encapsulates the aspirations of Casa Figueira, an urban district developed by Igauatemi that broke ground in 2025 and will eventually accommodate 50,000 residents.
Tour the pavilion at Casa Figueira
Expanding the concept of a marketing suite, the pavilion is rather a place of inspiration aiming to spark dialogue between developers, residents, and the public. Its sky-bridge crosses from the land to a platform suspended 24-metres above the gardens of the historic Fazenda Brandina coffee estate, around which this new district will grow.
Surrounded by naturalistic planting by Brazilian landscape architect Isabel Duprat, the structure is built of eucalyptus-based Glulam timber, sourced from a local reforestation production chain, and steel manufactured in Brazil. It’s wrapped in glass windows and terraces shaded by the over-hanging roof – a contemporary interpretation of Brazilian modernism that immerses visitors in the emerging urban and environmental landscape.
The design balances 'contemplation and anticipation,' explains Carlos Jereissati, board member at Igauatemi, and former CEO whose family founded the company in 1966. 'The architecture frames the horizon, allowing you to look out and imagine what the neighbourhood will become,' he says.
Inside, urban ideas will be explored across interactive urban models, a 150-seat auditorium and flexible event and exhibition spaces. Topics up for discussion will span from smart cities to 15-minute cities, and a series of evolving questions about public space, quality of life, and inclusivity will be posed.
'Andrade Morettin’s architecture has a precision and lightness that felt very aligned with what this first building needed to be: not an object, but a framework for experience,' explains Jereissati.
This vessel continues the international research that has contributed to the development of Casa Figueira. Responding to the challenges of Brazilian cities today, its polycentric masterplan creates a more integrated and human-scaled urban environment. Over one million square meters, 100 mixed-use towers will be woven together with amenities, parks and sustainable infrastructure.
It’s Iguatemi’s first urban district and most ambitious project to date, anchored to the Iguatemi Campinas shopping centre originally established in 1980. For Jereissati, many insights can be translated from retail to urbanism: 'Iguatemi has spent decades understanding how people move, meet, spend time together and seek quality in their daily lives. That experience is very relevant here, because successful urban spaces also depend on convenience, comfort, identity, and a strong sense of place.'
The pavilion, therefore, performs as a receptacle between past and future. Its architecture by Andrade Morettin is rooted in the values of Brazilian modernism, whilst initiating a design language that will contribute to the future district. Meanwhile, a symbolic fig tree represents Casa Figueira’s commitment to bringing green spaces to its residents, whilst connecting back in time to a 200-year-old fig tree in the old garden of the estate.
Though the pavilion’s architectural footprint treads lightly and is relatively minuscule compared to the vast weight and scale of the district’s construction, its suspended presence over time and ability to inspire collective reflection intend to make a lasting impact. 'It is both a preview and a platform: a way to build a shared understanding of what this new urban centrality can become,' concludes Jereissati.
